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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap.._^.Wp$-igfifio 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



The Spiritual Life of 
the Sunday School 



By / 

Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D. D. 

Author of 

" And Peter," " Received Ye the Holy Ghost ? " 

" The Surrendered Life," " The Secret 

of a Happy Day," etc. 




United Society of Christian Endeavor 
Boston and Chicago 









40174 - 

Copyright, iBgg y 

BY THE 

United Society of Christian Endeavor 






Colonial Press : 
Electrotyped and Printed by 
C. H. Simonds &" Co. 
Boston, Mass., U. S. A. 






2) 



* INTRODUCTION. 

KJ 

The four chapters of this book appeared 
in four different articles in The Sunday School 
Times^ written by request of the publishers. 
They were thus brought particularly to 
the attention of Sunday-school workers, and 
are now sent forth in book form, first, be- 
cause of a special request, and, second, 
because I have been told the words would 
be helpful to many readers. 

This is my earnest desire. 

J. Wilbur Chapman. 

New York City, 1899. 



THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THE 
SUNDAY SCHOOL 



Other Books 



BY 



Rev* J. Wilbur Chapman, D, D. 



THE SECRET OF A HAPPY DAY. 

By Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D. D. 
The " Daily Quiet Hours " of the Detroit Chris- 
tian Endeavor Convention will always be remem- 
bered as among the most remarkable meetings of 
that great gathering. The addresses given at that 
time by Dr. Chapman are all included in this 
book. In order to make them of the greatest help- 
fulness, they have been divided into thirty-one 
sections — one for each day of the month. The 
book sets forth simply and lovingly the beauty of a 
life of service, and the joy that comes to those who 
live constantly in the presence of God. An excel- 
lent half-tone portrait of the author forms the fron- 
tispiece. Bound in cloth. Price 50 cents, postpaid. 

THE SURRENDERED LIFE. 

By Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D. D. 
One of the most encouraging signs of the times in 
the religious world is the number of young people 
eager for a deeper spiritual life. This little vol- 
ume sets forth clearly, simply, and winningly the 
life " hid with Christ in God " and the way to 
enter into it. The tasteful binding forms a most 
fit setting for the contents. Price, 50 cents, post- 
paid. 



United Society of Christian Endeavor, 

Tremont Temple, Boston. 
733 La Salle Si., Chicago. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER 

I. The Superintendent's Opportu- 



9 



NITY ..... 

II. The Teacher's Devotions . . 20 

III. The Teacher's Responsibility . 33 

IV. Decision Day in the Sunday 

School ..... 42 



THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF THE 
SUNDAY SCHOOL 



CHAPTER I. 

THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OPPORTUNITY. 

To be a co-worker with God is a position 
of honor for every one, and, indeed, every 
one is called to service of some sort in the 
household of God ; for there is no thought 
that there shall be laggards either in the 
Father's house or in the Master's vineyard. 
But, while there is work for every one to do, 
some positions are of greater importance 
than others, and those who are called to fill 
them are indeed highly honored of God. 

It is generally agreed that the position 
next in importance to that of the minister 
9 



IO THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

of the gospel is the superintendent of the 
Sunday school, and in some schools it would 
almost seem that the opportunity is beyond 
that of the pastor. But wherever the school 
may be, and whatever its character, happy 
the man who has been called of God to fill 
the position, and upon whose service God 
has set his seal of approval. It is doubtless 
true that there are those in this position, as 
in the ministry, who have never really been 
called to it, and others out of it who have 
been called, and have not taken heed to the 
call ; but the same tests may be applied to 
one, in order that he may really know if he 
is called to this position, that would be ap- 
plied to one entering the ministry. 

i. A constant inclination to the work, and 
an impression, that will not be put aside, 
that God would have you do it. The ques- 
tion of fitness may not enter into it at all at 
the first. 

2. The impression of others that you are 
fitted for the work, or may become so. God 
not infrequently sends his messages through 
his own people, and thus it is true, here at 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. II 

least, that " the voice of the people is the 
voice of God." 

3. Some degree of success in the carrying 
out of the work, not only judged from your 
own standpoint, but from the position of 
those who view you from the outside, and 
are competent to form an opinion. 

4. A growing desire to do God's will, and 
to be used in any way that may contribute to 
his glory. 

Very naturally, the subject divides itself 
into three main heads, — the man, the place, 
and the work. 

I. THE MAN. 

He must be a man of real enthusiasm for 
his work if he would be a successful super- 
intendent. It is a necessary qualification ; 
half-hearted service counts for little every- 
where, but in the superintendent's desk it is 
a positive hindrance. Why should not one 
be running over with enthusiasm when he 
remembers that he has a place that every 
angel in the skies would delight to fill ? 



12 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

He must be willing to change his methods 
every Sunday, if need be, until he has a 
method which will be used of God, first, in 
leading scholars into the school, and then 
leading them to Christ. There is a scrip- 
tural foundation for this change of method 
found in the fifteenth chapter of Luke : how 
long did the shepherd seek for the sheep, the 
woman for the lost piece of money, and the 
father for his son ? Until they found them. 

And, if this is the spirit of the superin- 
tendent, he will find that God will surely set 
his seal of approval upon his work, and not 
only upon his work, but upon his spirit. 

He must be a man of pure life. God 
forgive the one who dares to stand in the 
superintendent's desk with unconfessed or 
hidden sin in his heart. He is hindering the 
work ; he is standing in the way of the 
progress of the kingdom ; he is uncon- 
sciously to himself, possibly, injuring for 
eternity other lives, for which he will one 
day be called to a strict account. God al- 
ways uses for a permanent work of blessing 
the life that is clean. 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 13 

He must be a completely consecrated man. 
This is absolutely essential. The idea of 
consecration is separation, and it is of a two- 
fold application. There must be separation 
from the world, and all that it means. There 
can be no life of compromise if one is to pos- 
sess the power of God. We must u come 
out from the world and be separate," and 
not even touch the thing that is unclean. 
But there must also be separation unto 
Christ as well as from the world. He must 
be the Lord of the life, must perfectly con- 
trol the whole being, or the work will not be 
all that is desired. 

I am aware that this is the ideal superin- 
tendent I have pictured in these few sen- 
tences, but I am also persuaded of the fact 
that the ideal is not an impossibility, but may 
be attained unto by us all. 

II. THE PLACE. 

The place occupied by the superintendent 
is a most exalted one for various reasons. 
1. He is the teachers' ideal. They placed 



14 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

him in his position, and, if he is to make the 
school a success, he must strive to realize 
their opinion of him. As a Bible student, a 
Christ-like spirit, and an executive head, it is 
not so much what he says, but the way he 
says it. A great revival in Dundee, Scot- 
land, under McCheyne, came not because 
of His preaching, but because of the seraphic 
look on his face and the heavenly atmosphere 
of his presence, and one man at least was 
converted by hearing him say, " Thou know- 
est that we love thee." 

2. In his position he is the scholars' 
example. In New Testament times they 
brought sick people that the shadow of the 
man of God might fall upon them, and they 
be healed. And no superintendent is per- 
fectly true to his position if he does not 
preach Christ to his scholars in the way he 
walks the streets, conducts his business, and 
sits in the house of God, as well as when he 
stands upon the platform and speaks or 
prays. Every superintendent ought to lead 
his scholars nearer to Christ by his own 
consistent life. 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 1 5 

3. He is the pastor's helper. No one 
should stand nearer to the leader of the 
church-work than the superintendent of the 
Sunday school. He is in touch with the 
home life of the church as even the pastor 
is not. He knows the needs of the scholars 
as no one else. He is, by virtue of his posi- 
tion, the leading lay worker of the parish, 
and he ought to make his life tell for the 
help of the pastor and the glory of God. 
No Sunday-school superintendent can fill 
his position well if there is lack of sym- 
pathy between him and the pastor of the 
church. 

III. THE WORK. 

Too much cannot be said about the work 
of the superintendent. It is boundless in its 
opportunities, and can be measured not only 
by time, but reaches into eternity. The 
principal part of the work is : — 

1. To impart to the scholars, through the 
teachers, a knowledge of the Word of God. 
While it is true that the teaching is done 



1 6 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

directly by the teacher, yet it is within the 
power of the superintendent to strike the key- 
note in the teaching, and determine both its 
practical and its spiritual character. When 
we realize the power of God's Word to keep 
our boys and girls in the hour of temptation, 
who can tell what an honor it is for any one 
to fill such a position ? That superintendent 
is to be pitied who does not thoroughly equip 
his scholars with a knowledge of the Word 
of God, for one day God will call him to an 
account for his negligence. 

2. The next part of his work is to build 
up character. This is to be accomplished 
not only by precept, but by example. The 
Word of God teems with illustrations cal- 
culated to stir the minds of even the little 
children. It is possible for the superintend- 
ent to have for every Sunday some short 
story bearing on the lesson found within the 
pages of the Bible which would fasten itself 
on the mind of a child, and never lose its 
influence, even in eternity. 

But such teaching will have little effect 
upon the lives of the scholars if it is not 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. I J 

supported by the clean, consistent life of the 
superintendent who presents the ideal. 

cc Thou must be true thyself if thou the truth 
wouldst teach, 
Thy soul must ever follow if thou another soul 
wouldst reach." 

3. But the great work is to win the 
scholars for Christ. However, in order to 
do this, the following things are necessary 
for us to remember : — 

(1) The superintendent must realize that 
the scholar, when he has reached the age of 
accountability, and has not chosen Christ, is 
lost. No one can tell certainly when this 
age is, but, the Bible being true, " he that 
hath not the Son of God hath not life, but 
the wrath of God abideth on him." 

(2) He must also understand that the 
scholar not yet a Christian really needs 
Christ, and the need, is just as great as that 
found in the experience of the aged man or 
aged woman out of the kingdom of God. 

(3) He must also clearly understand that 
it is a possible thing for a child to be a Chris- 



I 8 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

tian. The history of the church is rich in 
illustration of the fact that very many have 
come to Christ before the age of twelve 
years. 

(4) There must also be some real con- 
cern, on the part of the superintendent of 
the school, for the scholars under his care. 
It is not possible for any great amount of 
work to be accomplished in the salvation of 
the scholars until first there is a great desire 
on the part of the leaders of the work. 

(5) Certain days must be set apart, which 
may be called decision days, or harvest days 
for the school, or times of special waiting 
upon God. It matters not what the name 
may be ; but, as the farmer sows the seed 
and expects the harvest, so the Sunday-school 
superintendent has a right to believe that, 
when the seed has been sown, and the Spirit 
of God has done his work, the harvest is 
absolutely certain. 

Yet there is this principle to be remem- 
bered in Christian work, that, whether one 
occupies the exalted position of minister, 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 1 9 

superintendent, or Sunday-school teacher, or 
one of the humblest positions in all the 
household of God, it is not so much the 
position we are called to fill, but the spirit 
with which we fill it, that counts with God. 

" The strong man's strength to toil for Christ, 
The fervent preacher's skill, I sometimes wish : 

But better far to be just what God wills. 
No service in itself is small, 

None great, though earth it fill ; 

But that is small which seeks its own, 

That great which seeks God's will." 



CHAPTER II. 

THE TEACHER'S DEVOTIONS. 

What water is to the fish, and air to the 
bird, the Word of God is, and ought to be, 
to the child of God, and especially to one 
who would stand as a teacher of that Word. 
Paul's message to Timothy is likewise a 
message to Sunday-school teachers every- 
where, — " All Scripture is given by inspi- 
ration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in 
righteousness : that the man of God may be 
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works" (2 Tim. 3 : 16, 17). 

The most pitiable sight I know is the 
Sunday-school teacher trying to lead her 
scholars without drawing her inspiration and 
strength from the Bible. The lesson leaves 
and helps are all right in their place, and 



SUNDA Y SCHOOL 'S SPIRITUAL LIFE. 2 I 

much to be commended, but when they are 
recognized as a substitute for the Bible they 
ought to be most heartily condemned and 
rejected. The secret of successful teaching 
is always to be found in the preparation made 
by the teacher to meet her class. 

i. The text of the lesson must be known, 
and the context must be thoroughly studied. 
This may be accomplished only by the most 
careful and thoughtful reading of the lesson 
and the suggested references. It is well to 
read the Revised Version always in connec- 
tion with the authorized text, for sometimes 
the changing of a word in the Revision sheds 
a ray of light on a passage of Scripture hith- 
erto incomprehensible in its meaning. 

2. It is necessary that the teacher should 
become very familiar with any lesson helps 
which may shed light on the manners and 
customs of the people of whom the class is 
to study, and also the history of the times in 
which the lesson events are found. It is a 
dangerous sign when the teacher reaches the 
place where she may feel that she is justified 
in ignoring such helps as these. 



22 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

3. Attend regularly some meeting of Sun- 
day-school teachers for the study of the 
lesson. It is a misfortune to be connected 
with a school where teachers' meetings are 
not held. Suggestions are made in such 
gatherings, and side-lights are thrown on the 
lesson which come to one in no other form 
of study. 

Different suggestions may be made con- 
cerning the best methods of familiarizing 
one's self with the text of the lesson. One 
of the best I have known is that practised 
by an aged teacher whose reputation for suc- 
cessful teaching extended far beyond the 
bounds of his school. He was not an edu- 
cated man, yet he never met his class when 
his face did not glow with the truth he 
taught, and he expounded the lesson with an 
enthusiasm that was contagious. He had a 
habit of dividing the lesson, after he had 
familiarized himself with the whole of it, into 
six parts, one portion for each day of the 
week, and the result of all his meditation for 
his class on the Lord's Day. And so each 
day, as he went about his work, he would 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 23 

meditate and pray, and talk on his daily por- 
tion, until, by the time the week would end, 
he would literally be on fire with the desire 
to reach his class. And those who know 
him bear testimony to the fact that he never 
failed to reach them. 

All these general principles ought to be 
observed by every teacher ; yet, if the work 
of preparing to teach stops here, the teacher 
has fallen far short of what she might have 
been in her exalted position. 

If a minister studies his Bible only in 
order that he may prepare his sermons and 
preach them, with the hope that the result of 
his study may be for him to help others, he 
has missed the best part of the use of the 
Word of God, and fallen far short of what 
he might have been in his helpful ministry. 
He must study the Bible for himself. 

What is true of the minister of the gospel 
is likewise true of the Sunday-school teacher. 
So there may be suggestions made concern- 
ing the teacher's devotions which would com- 
pletely revolutionize much of the teaching 
and much of Christian experience. For a 



24 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

time the class must be forgotten, the teacher's 
responsibility for others put aside ; and we 
must only remember that we stand as indi- 
viduals before God, needing him and his ful- 
ness, and demanding everything that would 
make his personal indwelling a reality, and 
his fulness a certainty. 

I. Study the Bible for yourself, for your 
own spiritual profit, saying, over and over, 
" Teach me, O Lord." Lay the thought of 
your teaching others entirely aside. It is not 
necessary that we should take a whole chap- 
ter for a day's meditation ; even a single 
verse will do to make what you study your 
own, actually a part of yourself. You will 
find, after a little, that your life is beginning 
to run over with blessing for others, and then 
you will realize that it is only the overflow 
of your life that blesses and helps those 
around you, just as it is the overflow of the 
Nile that makes the valley of that river so 
fertile. It is one thing to be "filled with the 
Spirit," and quite another thing to be "Spirit- 
driven." When one is driven by the Spirit, 
he teaches a Sunday-school class because he 






OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 2$ 

thinks he must do something, and this is all 
he feels himself qualified to do; for this is 
an easy task, he thinks. This is an awful 
mistake, for, next to the ministry of the 
gospel, the teacher of a Sunday-school class 
occupies the highest position of responsi- 
bility. The Spirit-driven teacher finds the 
work a drudgery, and is glad when the day 
is over and the work is ended, while the one 
who is Spirit-filled works as naturally as he 
breathes, and counts Christian service his 
highest delight. The one who is Spirit- 
driven has barely enough life with which to 
sustain himself; the one who is Spirit-filled 
has life for himself, and the more abundance 
of life for those with whom he comes in 
contact. 

2. If this form of personal preparation is to be 
carried on, enter the school of prayer, having only 
yourself continually in mind. "But thou, 
when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and 
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy 
Father which is in secret ; and thy Father 
which seeth in secret shall reward thee 
openly " (Matt. 6 : 6). In this verse we 



26 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

have the best instruction as to how we 
should pray, and what results should be 
expected. 

(i) Every Sunday-school teacher must 
have a closet for prayer, the idea of which 
is a secret place. It must be in the place 
where one is least likely to interruption, but 
the closet is an absolute necessity. 

(2) When one is in the secret place, shut 
the door, which carries with it the thought 
of the world's being for a time shut out. It 
is very necessary that we should be more 
alone with God, and less in touch with the 
world, if we are to be channels of the right 
sort. 

(3) Pray in secret. There must be cer- 
tain kinds of prayer which we shall offer up 
in our devotions, which never could be said 
in the public place, nor even in the hearing 
of our dearest friends. We must say some 
things to God we should not dare to say to 
any one else. 

(4) Pray in the name of Jesus. There is 
nothing in one's self, however holy his life 
may be, that could for a moment draw to 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 27 

himself the rich blessing of God which he 
so much needs. But, whatever may be our 
own condition, it is a joy to know that that 
name which is " above every name," and 
which we have a right to use, will open the 
richest storehouse of heaven. 

Three conditions give one a right to use 
a name : — 

(a) Partnership relation. We may use 
the name of one who is associated with us 
in business, and we may certainly assume 
that we bear this relation to Christ. 

(b) A love relation. A wife has the right 
to use the name of her husband, for she has 
given herself to him. So we have a right 
to the name of our Saviour. 

(c) A life relation. A child has the right 
to use the name of his father, and, since we 
are bound to Christ by the very life of God, 
it is very sure that we have the privilege of 
the use of his name. 

(5) Believe that what you ask God for 
you will receive. He has promised it in 
his Word, and he will never break his 
promise. 



28 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

(6) Go out to your work of living and 
teaching, conscious of His presence who 
said, " I will never leave you nor forsake 
you." 

If such an experience as this should be 
given to every teacher in the Sunday school, 
in a little time the whole work would be 
revolutionized, and every Sunday school 
would be an actual gate into heaven's richest 
blessing. 

3. Appropriate Christ for your own life. 
There are two indwellings spoken of in the 
Bible, which ought always to be considered 
together. First, he is in us, and second, we 
are in him. It has been called the recip- 
rocal relationship. If he is in us, we may 
lay claim to everything that belongs to him. 
We have a right to claim his mind, that we 
may think as he thinks, to lay claim to his 
peace, that we may live as he lives. We 
may appropriate his gentleness, that we may 
act as he would act if he were in this world; 
for the literal meaning of the word " gentle- 
ness " is a disposition to be fair. In a word, 
to sum it all up, we may claim his spirit, 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 29 

and, having his spirit, it becomes possible 
for us to reflect him, in all that he is, in all 
that we do. 

If it should be objected that these sug- 
gestions savor of selfishness, then my answer 
is, if one is to be great, in any walk of life, 
he must spend weeks, months, and years in 
preparation for his future. And this is a 
time when he loses all sight of the world he 
hopes to influence, and thinks only of his 
own spirit, soul, and body, which are to be 
trained for world-wide influence. In order 
that one may make the most of the study 
of God's Word, his prayer, and his appro- 
priation of Christ, it is very necessary that 
he shall have some special time when he 
may wait before God. This ought to be 
a time of the day when his mind would be 
the clearest, and he would be the least sub- 
ject to interruption. One of the most en- 
couraging and hopeful signs of the Christian 
Endeavor Society is its great army of young 
people who are to-day enrolled as "The 
Comrades of the Quiet Hour." It would 
be a good thing if there could be a circle 



3<D THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

of Sunday-school teachers enrolled in such 
a company. 

i. It would better be some hour early in 
the morning, just because the soul is more re- 
ceptive at that time. The mind is refreshed 
and clear, and is much less occupied with 
worldly things. This is generally a time of 
quietness, and all who have tried it have 
found that God seems particularly near at 
such a time. You can all but hear him say, 
" Be still, and know that I am God." Miss 
Havergal has been quoted as saying that the 
reason why the church does not accomplish 
more is found in the fact that Christians are 
not spending the first hour of the day alone 
with God. May this not be the reason 
why so many have failed as Sunday-school 
teachers ? 

2. It may be necessary, for one to keep this 
pledge, to rise much earlier in the morning 
than he is accustomed to do, but Dr. Webb- 
Peploe has said all the great saints have been 
early risers, and one has only to read the 
letters of McCheyne, Bonar, Wesley, White- 
field, Brainerd, Miiller, and Spurgeon, to find 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 3 I 

how true this is. The pages of the Bible 
glow with accounts of those who have kept 
the early hours of the day with God. Moses 
in the early morning had God's revelation of 
his law. Isaiah was awakened morning by 
morning that he might learn God's truth. 
David said, "I myself will awake right early"; 
and again, " It is a good thing ... to show 
forth thy lovingkindness in the morning." 
Jesus himself, in the morning, a great while 
before day, rose up and went out, and de- 
parted into a solitary place, and there prayed. 
Contrast with these, if you will, our own 
hurried devotions, or utter lack of them, and 
you will find the secret of failure on the part 
of many of the Sunday-school teachers of the 
present time. 

3. There are certain direct advantages 
which may be counted upon as coming from 
such a time of waiting quietly before God. 

(1) No amount of business during the day 
can then crowd out the communion with God 
without which the day is a failure. 

(2) It is a time when we gird our armor 
on, and so are not routed at the approach 



32 SUNDA Y SCHOOL \S* SPIRITUAL LIFE. 

of the enemy. Before he comes the armor is 
ready for us and the sword easy to wield. 

(3) It is an easy thing throughout the day 
to prevail with men, because we begin the 
day by prevailing with God. 

(4) Our testimony is with power, because 
we have established a vital union with God, 
and we " live, yet not we, but Christ lives 
in us." 

All this is one plan which, if carefully fol- 
lowed, may revolutionize the teacher's devo- 
tions, and, through his devotions, his life. It 
is certainly true that we have all been better 
able to manifest power with men when, first 
of all, we have learned the secret of power 
with God. That hundreds and thousands 
of Sunday-school teachers may be led into 
the secret place of blessing is my prayer. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE TEACHER'S RESPONSIBILITY. 

Next to the minister of the gospel, the 
office of the Sunday-school superintendent 
and teacher is more responsible than any 
other position in the church. It is a work 
to which one should be divinely called, and 
for which one should be equipped of God. 

It ought to be no more possible for one 
to be a Sunday-school teacher and not be 
a professed Christian than for one to be a 
physician without a knowledge of medicine, 
a mountain guide when totally blind, or a 
minister of the gospel without a personal 
knowledge of Christ as a Saviour. 

It is really the " blind leading the blind," 
and the ditches are on every side. But He 
who changed Peter from the fisherman to 
the mighty preacher at Pentecost and the 
great writer of epistles, waits to change and 
33 



34 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

equip us all. " Ye shall receive power, 
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon 
you," was certainly meant to include Sunday- 
school teachers. 

There are very many reasons why the 
position is one of great responsibility. 

i. Because one is a teacher. It is not 
possible to be an instructor in the day-schools 
without a thorough knowledge of the subjects 
to be taught, and it is not possible to hold 
such a position unless the teacher has a gift 
to impart that knowledge to the pupil. This 
is strenuously insisted upon. 

And, while it would not be within the 
range of possibilities for a Sunday-school 
teacher to master the Word of God as com- 
pletely as he could know mathematics or 
the science of language if his teaching is 
secular, yet there are certain things which 
every teacher in the Sunday school should 
know. 

(i) He ought to be very sure that the 
Bible is the Word of God ; the Sunday 
school is not the place for the discussion 
of authorship and kindred topics. 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 35 

(2) He ought to know that Jesus Christ 
is the Son of God, for he may know this by 
reading the Gospel of John, the key-verse 
of which is John 20 : 31 : " But these are 
written, that ye might believe that Jesus is 
the Christ, the Son of God." 

And, when these two great underlying- 
truths have been accepted, then there are 
certain others which every successful teacher 
ought certainly to hold and teach. 

(1) He ought to believe that he is saved 
himself. And this is not a matter for spec- 
ulation ; he may know. See 1 John 5:13: 
" These things have I written unto you that 
believe on the name of the Son of God ; 
that ye may know that ye have eternal life." 

(2) He ought to believe that the scholar 
old enough to accept of Christ is in need of 
a Saviour, and he ought to know what the 
Scriptures say concerning him. See Rom. 
3 : 22, 23 : u There is no difference : for all 
have sinned." Also, see John 3:18: " He 
that believeth not is condemned already." 

(3) He certainly ought to know that the 
life yielded to Christ, whatever may be the 



36 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

past experience, may be transformed into a 
character of real beauty. See Eph. 2 : 10: 
" For we are his workmanship." He has 
a plan for every life, and will work that plan 
out if unhindered. 

2. It is a responsible position because he 
is a teacher of God's word. And, since it is 
God's word, He must be the interpreter of it. 

This is a day of valuable lesson helps, and 
it would be a most serious mistake if these 
were all set aside because some are not to be 
commended. It is safe to say to the teacher, 
" Use everything good, view the truth from 
every standpoint, talk with others concerning 
the lesson, attend teachers' meetings, and ab- 
sorb everything that may help you with your 
scholars." But it will be a calamity if you 
fail in the end to go to Him who inspired 
holy men of old to write the book. 

With every help secured from men get 
alone with God very often, and say to him 
over and over, " Speak, Lord ; for thy ser- 
vant heareth." Then say, " Open thou 
mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous 
things " y and he will not disappoint you. 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 37 

Only let it be remembered that often you 
will have to wait in his presence. We have 
frequently missed the blessing of an audience 
with him because we have been in too much 
of a hurry. " Wait patiently " is a needed 
admonition for many of us. " Be still, and 
know that I am God," is for us all. 

3. In all probability the Sunday-school 
teacher stands between the scholar and life 
or death. How could it be any other than 
a position of grave responsibility? 

If one should be told to write on a piece 
of parchment a line which was to stand for 
or against him at the judgment, how care- 
fully he would write ! Yet in the teaching 
every Sunday in the schools, lives and char- 
acters are being moulded for eternity. 

A flippant teacher might turn a child for- 
ever against sacred things, a careless teacher 
might in one sentence plant in a little life a 
seed which would produce in after years a 
harvest of all that is bad, while an unsaved 
teacher might be the cause of the loss of a 
soul. At the same time, it is true that a 
faithful, consecrated, godly teacher might in 



38 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

one lesson lead a scholar to Christ, and 
in that one add a nation to the kingdom of 
God. 

I have in mind a missionary of wide re- 
pute, a minister of international reputation, 
an evangelist of world-wide fame, all of them 
led to Christ as boys in the Sunday school, 
the teacher being used of God to reach them. 
The missionary has made continents glow 
with the glory of God, the minister has led 
multitudes to a better Christian experience, 
while the evangelist has led tens of thousands 
to the Master he serves. Only God knows 
the turn that might have been given to these 
lives if these boys had fallen into the hands 
of the teacher that was flippant, careless, or 
unsaved. 

4. The position is one of great responsi- 
bility because the scholar is a keen critic and 
usually a good judge- of character. 

(1) Suppose the child comes from a home 
where the parents are most consistent Chris- 
tians, where the father is a saint and the 
mother angelic in the child's estimation. If 
the Sunday-school teacher is not able to com- 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 39 

pare favorably with them in Christian char- 
acter, his influence counts for nothing, and it 
is almost impossible to make up for the loss. 

(2) Suppose, on the other hand, the 
scholar comes from a home where the 
parents are either inconsistent or unsaved, 
and no spiritual atmosphere surrounds him 
for six days in the week. Then the teacher 
must make up in one short hour in one day 
of the week for the inconsistency of the 
parents or the godlessness of the home, or 
there will be perilous times before the child. 
Some scholars receive their first impressions 
of Christ from the character of the Sunday- 
school teacher. God pity us if we fail here ! 

It is indeed a position which an angel 
might long to fill, but which the best of men 
might tremble at the thought of occupying ; 
and if, as a result of this meditation, some 
should say, " Who is sufficient for these 
things ? " the answer would lead me to my 
closing thought. 

5. Our help must come from God. He 
is able to make all grace abound. There is 
surely no cause for discouragement, for he 



40 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

has made certain definite promises to us, 
not one of which will be broken. 

(i) He will be mouth and wisdom to us, 
and Paul goes so far as to say that we may 
have his mind. How this ought to open up 
unto us the Scriptures ! 

(2) He will overcome our feebleness. 
u My strength is made perfect in weakness." 
We thus need only by faith to link our weak- 
ness to his almightiness, and who can esti- 
mate the result of our service ? 

(3) He will counteract our fear. He said : 
u Be not afraid," " I will never leave thee, 
nor forsake thee," " Lo, I am with you 
alway " ; and that means in the whole Sun- 
day school and in every class. Who can 
describe the courage that would fill a teacher's 
soul, did he but realize the Master's pres- 
ence ? 

(4) He is pledged to look out for the 
results of our work, and we need not be 
disturbed. " My word . . . shall not return 
unto me void." Only let it be remembered, 
(1) God will use with power only the teacher 
with a clean life and a surrendered will. 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 4 1 

(2) He will not bless the presentation of 
anything less than his word. 

I am well aware that this ideal for the 
Sunday-school teacher is a high one ; but I 
am equally sure that it is possible of attain- 
ment, and that in reaching out after it we 
shall be filled with a joy unspeakable, for 
we shall be pleasing Him of whom we teach, 
and shall one day hear him say, " Well done, 
good and faithful servant : . . . enter thou 
into the joy of thy Lord." 



CHAPTER IV. 

DECISION DAY IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

If a farmer were to occupy all his time in 
sowing the seed and make no provision for 
the gathering of a harvest which he would 
have a right to expect, we should think him 
bereft of all reason. There are certain laws 
governing the sowing of seed, the watch- 
ing for growth and development, and the 
reaping of the harvest. It is likewise true 
that there are certain well-defined laws con- 
cerning the use of God's word in teaching 
and preaching. It is the good seed indeed, 
and the heart of a child has always been 
found to be particularly good ground upon 
which it may fall. 

There is a clear promise in the Bible that 
God's word shall not return unto him void, 
42 



SUNDA Y SCHOOL 'S SPIRITUAL LIFE. 43 

but shall accomplish that which he pleases 
and prosper in the thing whereunto he hath 
sent it. If, therefore, there are few conver- 
sions and the harvest in the Sunday school 
is not gathered, the responsibility for failure 
cannot be with the Lord of the harvest, but 
must be with those of us who are supposed 
to be the laborers in his harvest field. I can 
find no reason in God's word why there 
should not be a constant ingathering of the 
children and young people into the kingdom 
of heaven, why there may not be frequent 
harvest seasons and oft-repeated decision 
days. In order that Sunday-school workers 
may be led to expect and work for such 
seasons of blessing, this message is sent 
forth. 

It is necessary first of all that there should 
be certain propositions stated and accepted 
before we may be expected to gather the 
results of our work. 

First, It must be accepted as true that when 
a child has reached the age of accountability, 
where he may intelligently accept or reject 
Christ as a Saviour, he needs Christ in order 



44 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

that he may be saved. " There is none 
other name under heaven given among men, 
whereby we must be saved." This text 
applies to a child having reached the age of 
accountability as well as to those older in 
years. If we do not accept this statement, 
we shall not be much concerned about their 
souls. 

Second, We do not know just when our 
children may reach the point of responsibil- 
ity. It is said that in the Niagara River 
there is one point called " Past Redemption 
Point," and that, if one reaches and passes this 
place, he is hurried on to the rapids and the 
chances are all against his life's being saved. 
We do not know at what age our children 
may pass this point in their lives. 

Third, This being true, it is wise for us 
to present Christ to them as a Saviour very 
early in their lives. It is said that the can- 
non-ball passing through a four-foot bore of 
the cannon receives its impulse for the whole 
course it is to travel. And the statement has 
been made that the Catholic authorities have 
said, " If you will give us your children for 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 45 

the first nine years of their lives, you can 
never win them away from us." It is there- 
fore doubtless true that many a child receives 
impressions before he is ten years of age that 
determine the whole course of his after life. 
What an awful responsibility not to present 
Christ to him as Saviour and keeper ! 

Fourth, The history of the church proves 
that many of those who have been the real 
pillars in the house of God came to an ac- 
ceptance of Christ before the age of twelve 
years. So, whatever may be our individual 
opinion concerning the conversion of chil- 
dren, God has set his approval on the work 
and has said, " Suffer the little children to 
come unto me, and forbid them not \ for of 
such is the kingdom of God." 

In an audience of five thousand people in 
a Western city I asked all who had accepted 
Christ between the ages of ten and twenty to 
rise, and it seemed as if the entire audience 
was standing. When those who had come 
between the ages of twenty and thirty were 
asked to stand, the number was greatly 
diminished, not more than four hundred 



46 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

being on their feet. When the ages were 
changed to between forty and fifty, there 
were not more than a hundred standing, and 
when it was suggested that all who had ac- 
cepted Christ between the ages of fifty and 
sixty should stand there were only four in 
five thousand who stood to make such con- 
fession. I am aware that this may not have 
been an exact test, for not all may have per- 
fectly understood the call ; but it can be 
proved by the statistics of the church that 
the majority of people come to Christ before 
the age of twenty, and if they do not come 
at this time the chances begin to run mightily 
against them. 

Fifth, To put any hindrance in the way 
of their coming, or to be indifferent to their 
acceptance of Christ, is a responsibility too 
grave to be borne by any of us. 

The little son of a distinguished minister 
came to him one day to say that he wanted 
to become a member of the church. His 
father thought he knew the boy and said to 
him, "My son, you may not understand just 
what it means to join the church." The 






OF THE SUNDA Y SCHOOL. 47 

child, however, assured him that he did. 
Finally, the father persuaded him to accept 
this proposition. He said : " We are just 
now going away for the summer vacation. 
When we come back, if you still wish it, we 
will then take you into, the church." This 
was not according to the boy's desire, but he 
yielded. The summer passed, but, said this 
minister : " When I came back in the fall, 
I came back without my boy. He died in 
the summer days." Doubtless the child was 
accepted of Christ because of his desire, but 
I am firmly convinced that he ought to have 
been in the church ; and the father believes 
it, too, to-day. 

There are those who will not come to 
Christ if they are not urged to do so in 
childhood. In one of the cities of New 
York a minister arose in one of the meetings 
to say: "Let me tell you of a playmate of 
mine, a little girl. There was a special ser- 
vice in the school of which we were both 
members ; an appeal was made which re- 
sulted in my own conversion. This girl 
was even more deeply moved than I, but, 



48 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

there being no one to lead her to a decision, 
she left the school. I met her years after in 
Paris, when I asked her if she ever became a 
Christian. With a sneer on her face that 
had once been wet with tears, she said : 
'Why, I never think of it, and have not for 
years. I have clearly made up my mind 
that I shall never be a Christian.' " What 
God in his mercy may do for her before her 
life's journey ends I cannot say, but there 
was a time when as a child one touch of 
helpfulness would have led her to a decis- 
ion. 

Sixth, When you lead a child to Christ, 
as a rule the work does not stop with that 
one little life. Others have been won indi- 
rectly by that one. Characters have been 
transformed and entire homes have been 
changed by the conversion of children. 

I was preaching in an Ohio city when I 
had one night pointed out to me in the 
audience one of the leading business men 
of the State. His wife sat with him, and 
between them their one little child. I have 
never had more indifferent or inattentive 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 49 

auditors than the gentleman and his wife ; 
they paid no attention to either speaking or 
singing, but the little child scarcely took her 
eyes from me. The meeting closed and 
they went home ; the child's heart had been 
touched. When she climbed up into her 
father's arms to say good-night, she said 
to him, "Papa, I wish you 'would be a 
Christian so that I could be one too." 
What the sermon and the song had failed 
to do, the child had accomplished. And be- 
fore they slept that night both the father 
and the mother had yielded themselves to 
Christ. 

It is not impossible that a " decision day " 
in the Sunday school might mean entire 
households saved. If we have been faithful 
in our work as teachers and superintendents, 
there are certain things we have a right to 
expect from God. 

First, That he will honor his own word. 

If you have presented the plan of salva- 
tion to your scholars, and stand ready to 
be used of God to help the scholar to a 
confession of Christ, you have a right to 



50 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

expect that he will set his seal upon your 
work. 

Second, If you have presented Christ to 
your scholars, you have a perfect right to 
believe that the Spirit of God will witness 
to him and make him a power in the life 
of your scholar ; for this is his work. 

Third, You have a perfect right also, 
these conditions being fulfilled, to look for 
and expect the conversion of the scholars of 
your class. 

THE NAME. 

The day in the interests of which this 
message is sent forth may well be called 
the " decision day in the Sunday school." It 
would be perfectly natural to expect conver- 
sions constantly ; and, if our schools were 
as God would have them be, our children 
would come as naturally into the kingdom 
of God as the sun rises in the morning and 
sets at night. But it is a wise thing, even 
if this be true, to appoint certain days when 
decisions may be wisely and strongly urged. 
These days may be more or less frequent, 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 5 I 

as the workers in the church may elect, but 
ought certainly to be observed each year, 
although in some schools they are held as 
often as once a quarter, and always with 
blessing. 

Let the following rules be adopted, or 
modified so as to meet the needs of the 
various communities ; and the writer can 
assure those following them that the efforts 
will certainly be crowned with success. 

1. Plan and pray about the time you set 
apart, and let it be far enough in the future 
to prevent anything from coming in the way 
of its successful prosecution or standing be- 
fore it as a hindrance. 

2. When the day arrives, let the pastor 
preach such a sermon as would lead parents 
to see their responsibility and make the 
teachers understand their opportunity for 
marvellous service. 

3. Appoint a prayer meeting for the 
teachers at least half an hour before the 
time of the session of the school. In this 
meeting let special prayer be offered ; first, 
for the teachers, that they may be specially 



52 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

anointed for this special work; second, for 
the unconverted scholars. It is a good plan 
to have the names before you for special 
mention. In one school in Pennsylvania 
the pastor himself had secured the names of 
seventy-five of the scholars who had not ac- 
cepted Christ, and with all the teachers on 
their knees he read over these names one by 
one until he could read no more, because of 
the sobs of those who filled the room, and 
he told me when the results were tabulated 
that he did not believe there was one of the 
seventy-five that had not taken a stand for 
Christ. 

4. Make the session of the school special 
in every way. 

(1) Sing only such hymns as would pro- 
duce a tender impression upon both scholar 
and teacher. Much of the so-called Sunday- 
school music would be inappropriate for such 
a day. Such hymns as " Just as I am, with- 
out one plea," " Nearer, my God, to thee," 
" Jesus, lover of my soul," and " Jesus paid 
it all " would be most helpful. 

(2) Mark the attendance and take the 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 53 

offering of the school, so that nothing may 
be in the way at the close of the session 
when the special appeal is to be made by the 
pastor. 

(3) Call on different teachers to pray 
briefly as they sit with their scholars, so 
that at once it may be understood that the 
session of the school is special and that you 
are waiting much upon God about it. 

(4) It is always best to dispense entirely 
with the regular lesson, whatever it may be. 
I know the objections urged against this plan, 
especially when the lesson seems appropriate ; 
but I know also that nothing makes a deeper 
impression on the scholars than to have the 
announcement made from the desk, " There 
will be no special study of the lesson to-day, 
for we have a matter of greater importance 
before us." Such an announcement being 
made, you will find that a kind of hush will 
fall upon the school, and this is the beginning 
of the blessing. Put absolute confidence in 
God ; then do as has been suggested by some 
one else ; " having planned your work, work 
your plan." 



54 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 
THE PLAN. 

First, let the superintendent say that the 
day is special. Let him tell the scholars 
with all tenderness that he is concerned for 
them. Let him state briefly what they must 
do to be saved. If he has been much in 
prayer about it, God will use him, and the 
scholars will be deeply impressed by the mere 
statement of the man who stands as their 
leader in the work of the Sunday school. 

Second, Let him then give the teachers 
an opportunity to make their plea. They 
know the scholars intimately enough to speak 
wisely with them. I remember one class 
in the Sunday school where as I entered the 
room I saw the scholars' heads all bowed 
in prayer, and as I passed by I heard the 
teacher say, " O God, save my scholars 
to-day." 

It is not a time for argument, but just an 
opportunity for the plain, tender statement 
of the way of life out of a full heart. It 
is well to have an acknowledgment card, 
which the teacher may use to secure the 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 55 

names of those who take even a slight stand 
for Christ, in order that it may be a matter 
of record. The following is a sample : — 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT CARD. 

I do acknowledge that Jesus Christ is my 
Saviour. 

It is my honest purpose to serve him all 
my life. 

Scholar's Name 

Address 

Teacher's Name 

Date .... Class No ... . 

It is natural that I should believe heartily 
in such a plan, I was a scholar in a Sun- 
day school in Richmond, Ind., when some 
one was making an appeal to the scholars 
to confess Christ by rising. The most of 
my class of boys were standing, and I was 
saying to myself: "Why should I stand? 
My mother and father are both Christians. 
I think I believe in Christ. For me to 
stand is not a necessity," when suddenly I 
felt a touch on my shoulder, and my teacher, 



$6 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

Mrs. C. C. Binckley, was saying, " Had n't 
you better stand ? " And somehow she got 
her hand just under my elbow and seemed 
to lift me up. I shall never forget my 
standing that day. Whether I had been 
accepted of God before that day or not I 
cannot say, but I do know that the deepest 
impression of my life was made at that 
minute, and under God my Sunday-school 
teacher was the channel through which the 
blessing came. 

Third, When the superintendent has made 
his statement, and the teachers' record of 
those who desire to know Christ has been 
made by the signing of the acknowledgment 
card, then let the pastor take full charge, 
and, as if no statement had been made 
before, lay before the scholars the way of 
life, their need of Christ, and press home 
upon them the desirability of an immediate 
decision for Christ. Any method may be 
used to lead to a final surrender which may 
be commended by the denomination in which 
the church is found. I remember a Metho- 
dist church in Brooklyn where at least one 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 57 

hundred scholars bowed at the altar, and 
also recall a Presbyterian school where the 
scholars by standing one after another sig- 
nified their determination to serve Christ. 
It is a serious mistake not to keep a record 
of all the names of those who thus take 
their stand in the service. 

CARING FOR THE RESULTS. 

What shall be done with those who have 
made a decision ? This is a serious question, 
and can be settled only by the pastors, super- 
intendents, and teachers. If allowed to drift, 
the action in the Sunday school may mean 
very little, but if carefully nurtured the 
greater proportion of those signing the ac- 
knowledgment cards may ultimately be found 
in the church. 

In some cases they may be received at 
once into the fellowship of the church, al- 
though it would seem better to form them 
into a special class and give them such 
instruction as they may need to become 
intelligent members of the church. I have 
known of special cases where for two years 



58 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

the classes were thus instructed until the 
whole number had been received into the 
church. 

This whole method of the decision day 
is like the Scotch woman's promises in the 
Bible. After very many of them she had 
placed the two letters, " T. P.," and, when 
asked for the meaning of the letters, she 
replied, u They mean c Tried and proven.' " 
So it is with these suggestions. In many 
cities and towns throughout the country 
they have been put to the test, and God has 
set his seal upon them. 

Only this in conclusion : Since it is so 
very difficult to lead strong men and women 
to a decision after they have rejected Christ 
for many years, and since the natural time 
for one to come to Christ is in youth, as the 
church's statistics will prove, it behooves us 
to lay hold upon these gracious opportunities 
given us of God to save the young, and, if 
we should fail, there will be perilous times 
before the church in the future. 

There are clear indications in these days 
of a coming revival which shall sweep over 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 59 

this land of ours and carry blessing wherever 
the gospel is preached. Not the least of these 
indications is an increasing concern on the 
part of Sunday-school teachers for their 
scholars, and a marked willingness on the 
part of the young people to come to Christ. 
This message is sent forth with the prayer 
that God may make it a blessing to Sunday 
schools everywhere, and that thousands and 
tens of thousands of children may speedily 
be won to Christ. 

HOW TO AID INQUIRERS. 

Always use God's word, and if your ex- 
perience is quoted at all, let it be used only 
to emphasize the Scripture. In the general 
meetings you wi-H find it easy to put the 
question very kindly and courteously to the 
people, " Are you a Christian ? " If the an- 
swer is " No," help them in every way you 
can. You will find about you four classes 
of inquirers. 

1. Christians who lack assurance. — The 
First Epistle of John was written to help 
this class. Emphasize 1 John 5:13. 



60 THE SPIRITUAL LIFE 

2. Backsliders, — Read the prophecy of 
Jeremiah for yourself, and give them its 
spirit. Use Jer. 3:12, 13. Read Hosea, 
fourteenth chapter, especially the opening 
verses. 

j. Those slightly convicted. — Read Rom. 
3 ; 10-23. I* i § useless to give the conso- 
lations of the gospel until there is conscious- 
ness of sin. 

/j.. The deeply convicted. — Read Isa. 43 : 25 
44 : 22; John 1 mi, 12. Tell them they may 
be sure of their salvation. Read John 3:16; 
5 : 24 ; 6 : 47 ; Rom. 6 : 23. 

The following excuses may be presented ; 
if so, answer them with God's word. 

/. " I can't understand" — " There is none 
that understandeth ; there is none that seek- 
eth after God." Rom. 3: n. "But the 
natural man receiveth not the things of the 
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto 
him ; neither can he know them, because they 
are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor. 2 : 14. 

2. Afraid of falling. — "Being confident 
of this very thing, that he which hath begun 
a good work in you will perform it until the 



OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 6 1 

day of Jesus Christ." Phil. I : 6. " Kept 
by the power of God through faith unto sal- 
vation, ready to be revealed in the last time." 
i Pet. i : 5. 

j. Afraid of temptation, — " There hath no 
temptation taken you but such as is common 
to man ; but God is faithful, who will not 
suffer you to be tempted above that ye are 
able ; but will with the temptation also make 
a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear 
it." 1 Cor. 10 : 13. " For, in that he him- 
self hath suffered, being tempted, he is able 
to succor them that are tempted." Heb. 
2: 18. 

4. Inconsistent Christians prevent, — " But 
why dost thou judge thy brother ? or why 
dost thou set at naught thy brother ? For we 
shall all stand before the judgment-seat of 
Christ. So, then, every one of us shall give 
account of himself to God." Rom. 14 : 
10, 12. "Therefore thou art inexcusable, 
O man, whosoever thou art that judgest, for 
wherein thou judgest another thou condemn- 
est thyself." Rom. 2:1. 

5. When to believe, — " Choose you this 



62 SUNDA Y SCHOOL >S SPIRITUAL LIFE. 

day whom ye will serve." Josh. 24 : 15. 
" Come, for all things are now ready." 
Luke 14:17. "Behold, now is the ac- 
cepted time ; behold, now is the day of 
salvation." 2 Cor. 6 : 2. 



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